In American culture, there is only one cricket, and his name is Jiminy Cricket. Try to think of a single cricket who even has a place in American culture. Jiminy stands alone, a giant of a cartoon cricket, dominating the world of cricketdome with no competition.

Most of us were introduced to Jiminy Cricket by one of his many appearances for Disney on their flagship television show which held down the early Sunday evening time slot. The dapper little insect was all class, in a world of cartoon characters who frequently displayed questionable manners. He dressed well, and behaved well.

Jiminy Cricket is wise. He uses his wisdom to guide us and others in our thinking. His is always the voice of reason, and of hope. He was designed to be a conscience.

"When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are. When you wish upon a star your dreams come true!" The intrepid cricket sang his songs with such joy and heart.

In Americana, Jiminy Cricket has been recently eclipsed by the generic "crickets" which is used to denote the lack of an audible response to some statement, usually directed at an audience. A comedian tells a joke. No one laughs. No one even responses. He says "yikes, crickets." The phrase seems to invoke the image of crickets suddenly becoming silent once a sound interrupts their audible communications.

Why do crickets make that sound, anyway? Only the males make the sound, and they only make it when they are announcing their readiness to meet a nice female cricket and make more crickets. They are broadcasting to their ladies - until some outside noise alerts them to the presence of another species, perhaps a predator honing in on their location in search of a meal. Then they become suddenly silent. Crickets.

Crickets? A term with some currency for now and perhaps another decade or two. But Jiminy Cricket will remain the King of Cricketdome for the foreseeable future.